New
#31
I like Windows Backup & Restore
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New #32
For several years now WBR has worked well on one of my PC's. For a different one, I'd hope it would too because I know how to use it. And trying to understand what version of what product (including Macrium) to chose is beyond confusion. What you get, whether you can get a system image, restore individual files, when a new or modified file gets backed up, what support you do or don't get gets very confusing. Even picking out a proper backup device.
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New #33
I sympathise, I had used WBR for years and learned all its shortcomings (and how to cope with them). It's not the most flexible product, there are few (if any) user options. For example, did you know it has two compression modes? High and normal? No, neither did I until I made a DVD backup. But they are not user-selectable, it's hard-coded by MS to use high compression only when the destination is an optical disk. You use WBR the way MS want you to, no user choice is permitted.
How did I choose what to use instead? I planned to try each in turn, then decide. But I started with Macrium Free and liked it so much I didn't bother testing anything else
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New #34
So what can I do or not do with MF? I need to periodically image, backup all files, be able to restore individual or all. I would image to dvd. I plan to get a WD desktop 3 or 4 terabyte.
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New #35
With Macrium Reflect Free you can make an image of the partition(s) required to back up and restore Windows. In this it is the equivalent of 'create a system image' in Backup & Restore. You can create a Full image of a drive, then subsequently make a Differential image.This is a backup of any changes that were made since the Full image, so can be much smaller. You can make both Full and Differential images on demand, or schedule them to be made automatically.
Unlike the Microsoft system image, you can easily mount a Macrium image of a partition as a virtual drive so you can use File Explorer to copy individual files back out of the image.
If what you want is to back up a selection of files/folders to an image then that is only available in the paid-for version on Macrium Reflect. Buying Macrium also adds Incremental imaging. This is just all the changes since the last Incremental image, so can be even smaller.
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New #36
I have no difficulty mounting MS image files. It can be done with windows disk management, and other programs can handle the format as well. That is one of the advantages of the MS image format.Unlike the Microsoft system image,
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New #37
You can back up personal data files with Macrium, with either the free or paid versions.
But I'd say it is hardly the best choice for that, whether free or paid.
If you use free, you'd have to fish out your personal files from within the previously created mrimg image file.
If you use paid, you don't have to rely on fishing files out of an image, but the process is still quite clumsy compared to a dedicated "file by file" backup program.
I'd advise you to avoid DVDs for backup if at all possible.
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New #38
Macrium can do all you have stated. I won't repeat what's already been posted, just add a few insights of my own. The paid version is well worth the price, even if you have no plans to do Incrementals, or use any of the other functions, such as ViBoot. The Image Guardian feature, to protect your backups from bad guys, is worth it alone. The Incrementals is a nice function I use regularly in place of creating a Restore Point. After significant work and/or sys updates, I can do an Incremental in less than one minute, and have a snapshot of possibly hours of work should something go south. Another subject entirely, I do not trust Restore Points, they are inherently flaky. Thus my justification. YMMV.
Avoid DVDs for image backup. The disadvantages in speed, usability, management, and sheer volume make them outdated tech.
A 3-4 TB WD or any make of external drive may be overkill, unless you have plans for other uses of the drive. Part of any good backup plan is separation and redundancy of data. Don't have one basket with all the eggs in it. An old, but tried and true approach, is Grandfather/Father/Son. I keep several 1TB Seagate external usb-3 drives. I do Daily/Weekly/Monthly backups. Speed of backup is, of course, dependent of partition size, type of media, and machine speed (to some extent). Output device will always be your limiting factor. As far as size........ My main OS is ~30-32GB, and with the default compression of ~40%, it produces a 16-17GB image backup file in about 4 minutes, and that's with an auto verify. Just to show:
The smaller files are Incrementals (quick snapshots of changes), they take about a minute to do.
All in all, Macrium is a good choice. One I made years ago. I won't debate it has a steeper learning curve. But once you've mastered the basics, you will not go back.
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New #40
Data backup method can be directed as much by the quantity of of data to back up as to the nature of the backup, I use Aomei Backupper Pro, (others are just as good, I went for Aomei due to a very good offer when I was looking ). I have a lot of Data 
eg my image store is currently using over 750GB of a two Terabyte partition.
I would always advise to use the pro version of backup and antimalware suites, this is just for the extra help that is available should things go wrong.
Our data is the whole reason for us using a computer, all our work or just as importantly all our memories are there.
I may have a need to occasionally recover a single file which is not an issue with a well designed product, but I use Partition based backups as these are quicker to perform and take less less management. I have multiple partitions for different data types, General data, Video, Images, Music Etc I also have a Fast access drive (ssd 500GB) that I use for holding the databases for Image management and editing programs, that need fast access.
I run a system image on a Monday and then the other Data backups daily One set a day until Friday, I do not bother with incrementals or differentials, I just do a full backup and keep two copies at all times.
I can restore the system in about 10 minutes or less.
My method is not for everyone, but it works for me - it keeps the backup time for each run to a few hours, I use minimal compression, (experience has taught me if a backup corrupts the last thing you need is to have to worry about decrypting gigabytes of data, before you can start. When I did all backups at once it could take a long time and a failure, (very rare but possible as with any backup), this method allows me to quickly find an individual file or fileset. Aomei has a feature to load a backup as a virtual drive which makes recovery of small amounts of files simply, this is a feature that I would look for in any serious backup system as it can save so much time, when you are in a fix .Last edited by Barman58; 25 Feb 2020 at 05:05.
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